Creating the exceptional involves trying things out, some of which may not work. Many of those "failures" can be hidden away in closets, and drawers, or shown around, used as a cautionary tale, but they are still things. They are still teachers. Hands and head learned something, strove for a conclusion, tried. And others can learn from them, and build on them, and we all move one step closer to ... what? A new world? Well, that's awfully grand. Maybe just a better sweater!

Not everything in this life turns out the way we want it to. So do we not try? Do we become spectators, watch, look? Do we follow? Use only recipes? Patterns?

Watching others strive is endemic to our culture: TV, movies, and yes, recipes and patterns. Recently, someone told me she only cooks using recipes, because she wants everything she makes to be delicious. Well, it is making. It also can produce a very good meal, a healthy meal, and it's a good step on the path to actually creating. It is how we are trained in this culture: follow the rules, don't think for yourself, do what you are told, do not deviate. Luckily for all of us, most people do just follow the rules, or this world could be crazy anarchy!

Recipes and patterns teach us a lot: which spices go well with which dishes, which stitches make this decrease lean as if to be incorporated in the shaping of the garment, and which weave structure allows this yarn to drape and flow, or remain firm and unyielding. I use, and try to create, recipes and patterns for me and others to follow. But they are a tool to learn something, not the end result. There is no surprise. There is no challenge. It is just rote work: the absence of adventure.

After the learning, the challenge is to use, incorporate, combine, make something new, at least make something out of your own hands and heart, something personal, perfectly suited to you and your needs, using your own powers of adding, subtracting and incorporating; in short: creating.

Not just making.

It is comfortable to follow the rules. It is scary to step put on your own, to try things, to make an effort, to travel, to learn how other people live, to see, wear, and taste new things. But you can always step back! If it's too wearying to be away from your comfort zone, rush back home! Recover for a while, use your recipes and patterns. But look at whatever it is that scared you, and try again. You just might stumble upon something wonderful next time.

The rewards for making something new are very satisfying. I think it is why we are here. Failure is everywhere, lurking around the corner. But so is progress, and success. Where would we be without all the poets, artists, scientists, and engineers who build, and tweak and throw their work out there for the world to see? They look at the world, or at something right in front of them, and say: hmmm, but how about this?

I try to be flexible and resourceful, in weaving, spinning, dyeing, cooking, travel,in short: everyday. My path may be tortured by failures, but I take that next step and try again. I might just be producing the missing link in the next grand project: the tiniest detail that worked, that I (we!) can build on, that takes me down my own path to something really, really good. If not great.

Every photo in this post is of a failure of some sort. Looks nice, but....something went wrong. Some things I can fix, some things I use as examples of XXX. And some things just wave their little hands in my face to remind me of a miss-step.

Take a chance. Step out of the box. Break a few rules. Try. Strive. Fail. Get up and do it again. Some day: fly.